Published: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 12:15 a.m.

OCALA -- Jury selection in the murder trial of Renaldo D. McGirth and Jarrord M. Roberts was slow-going Tuesday at the Marion County Courthouse.
The defendants are accused of first-degree murder in the July 2006 shooting death of Diana Miller in her Villages home. They are also charged with robbery with a firearm, kidnapping with a firearm and the attempted murder of Miller's husband, James McGirth also is charged with felony fleeing.
If convicted, McGirth, 19, and Roberts, 21, face a possible death sentence.
By 7 p.m. Tuesday, six women and four men had been singled out as prospective jurors, but it is yet to be seen whether they will make the final cut. There are 36 challenges remaining.
Jury selection will resume today at 9:15 a.m. in order to seat 12 jurors and a few alternates. Robert's attorney, Henry Ferro, said as he left the courthouse Tuesday evening that he thought a jury could be picked by late Thursday.
Pretrial publicity has slowed the jury selection process as Circuit Judge Brian D. Lambert and the attorneys spent much of the morning poring over juror questionnaires. Of the first 50 potential jurors, the judge excused 20.
After lunch, attorneys began questioning those remaining.
State Attorney Brad King told the court that prosecutors have a list of 190 witnesses, plus a possible 60 more.
King questioned whether the prospective jurors could find a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt based on circumstantial evidence without an actual eyewitness to the crime.
This could be a hint as to how King will approach this case, since James Miller, who had been shot in the head as his wife lay dying of her wounds, said in his deposition that he was not sure who had done the shooting.
Candace Hawthorne, McGirth's defense attorney, asked the potential jurors if they would be inclined to give less credibility to a witness who is a co-defendant.
"Do you believe him? Not believe him because they are a snitch?" Hawthorne asked.
Theodore Houston, 18, a co-defendant of McGirth and Roberts, pleaded to a lesser charge in exchange for his testimony on the state's behalf.
Ferro sought prospective jurors' feelings about race.
"Mr. Roberts is a black man," he said, pointing to his client, who sat in the courtroom neatly dressed in a shirt, tie and slacks. The potential jurors could not see that his and McGirth's ankles were shackled. McGirth also is black.
"Anybody have a problem with racial issues?" Ferro asked potential jurors.
At the end of the day, only 10 of the 18 men and women who sat in Judge Lambert's court Tuesday were chosen to return on Thursday.
Among those who were excused was the only black person to be questioned Tuesday. He was one of about four potential jurors who expressed difficulty in sentencing someone to death.Susan Latham Carr may be reached at susan.carr@starbanner.com or 867-4156.

OCALA -- Jury selection in the murder trial of Renaldo D. McGirth and Jarrord M. Roberts was slow-going Tuesday at the Marion County Courthouse.<BR>
The defendants are accused of first-degree murder in the July 2006 shooting death of Diana Miller in her Villages home. They are also charged with robbery with a firearm, kidnapping with a firearm and the attempted murder of Miller's husband, James McGirth also is charged with felony fleeing.<BR>
If convicted, McGirth, 19, and Roberts, 21, face a possible death sentence.<BR>
By 7 p.m. Tuesday, six women and four men had been singled out as prospective jurors, but it is yet to be seen whether they will make the final cut. There are 36 challenges remaining.<BR>
Jury selection will resume today at 9:15 a.m. in order to seat 12 jurors and a few alternates. Robert's attorney, Henry Ferro, said as he left the courthouse Tuesday evening that he thought a jury could be picked by late Thursday.<BR>
Pretrial publicity has slowed the jury selection process as Circuit Judge Brian D. Lambert and the attorneys spent much of the morning poring over juror questionnaires. Of the first 50 potential jurors, the judge excused 20.<BR>
After lunch, attorneys began questioning those remaining.<BR>
State Attorney Brad King told the court that prosecutors have a list of 190 witnesses, plus a possible 60 more.<BR>
King questioned whether the prospective jurors could find a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt based on circumstantial evidence without an actual eyewitness to the crime.<BR>
This could be a hint as to how King will approach this case, since James Miller, who had been shot in the head as his wife lay dying of her wounds, said in his deposition that he was not sure who had done the shooting.<BR>
Candace Hawthorne, McGirth's defense attorney, asked the potential jurors if they would be inclined to give less credibility to a witness who is a co-defendant.<BR>
"Do you believe him? Not believe him because they are a snitch?" Hawthorne asked.<BR>
Theodore Houston, 18, a co-defendant of McGirth and Roberts, pleaded to a lesser charge in exchange for his testimony on the state's behalf.<BR>
Ferro sought prospective jurors' feelings about race.<BR>
"Mr. Roberts is a black man," he said, pointing to his client, who sat in the courtroom neatly dressed in a shirt, tie and slacks. The potential jurors could not see that his and McGirth's ankles were shackled. McGirth also is black.<BR>
"Anybody have a problem with racial issues?" Ferro asked potential jurors.<BR>
At the end of the day, only 10 of the 18 men and women who sat in Judge Lambert's court Tuesday were chosen to return on Thursday.<BR>
Among those who were excused was the only black person to be questioned Tuesday. He was one of about four potential jurors who expressed difficulty in sentencing someone to death.<BR>
<i>Susan Latham Carr may be reached at susan.carr@starbanner.com or 867-4156.</i>